The latest season of The Gentlemen recently arrived on Netflix, possessing all the hallmarks that season one fans have come to know and love: money, power, and plenty of trouble.
But amid the hunting weekends and criminal manoeuvring at Halstead Manor, there’s one detail that sharp-eyed viewers may have noticed: what wine, exactly, is being poured on set.
In the latest season, during a weekend of shooting a lavish dinner takes place for a rather eclectic collection of guests, including a Sheikh and an Italian criminal. Spotted among the bottles on the table are some of the biggest names in fine wine, including Pétrus, Masseto, and Château Mouton Rothschild.
A collector who has these bottles tucked away in their cellar might ask why these particular wines made it to the filming set. Michele Longari, purchasing director at Hay Wines, sommelier, and Italian wine ambassador for Vinitaly International, takes a closer look.
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Pétrus 2009
The standout bottle in the series is the one that Eddie Horniman (portrayed by actor Theo James) uses to try to get into Lord Hawthorne’s (actor Hugh Bonneville’s) good books: a 2009 Pétrus. It’s a double magnum that holds three liters of wine – the equivalent of four standard bottles. “A standard 75cl bottle of Pétrus 2009 is already worth several thousand dollars, while a 3-liter double magnum can move into a completely different league,” Longari explains. “There are current retail listings around the £40,000 (approx. $54,000)-plus mark for this format.”
Made from a tiny vineyard in Pomerol, Bordeaux, Pétrus is produced in very limited quantities, while demand from collectors around the world remains enormous Longari describes the 2009 as incredibly concentrated and rich, with flavors and aromas ranging from plum, blackberry, mocha, and chocolate to earthy notes, eventually developing into truffle and leather. “The remarkable thing about great Pétrus is that it combines that richness with extraordinary texture and finesse,” he says.
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Pétrus 1998
In another scene, Horniman also produces a bottle of Pétrus 1998 in another attempt to win Lord Hawthorne over. A standard bottle of the 1998 “would comfortably sit in the several-thousand-dollar category, depending on condition and provenance,” says Longari.
After almost three decades in bottle, the fruit would have evolved considerably, Longari advises. Those deep plum and dark-fruit flavors would have developed into more savory, complex notes of “truffle, forest floor, tobacco, leather, and earthy notes, while the tannins become increasingly silky.”
Masseto 1989
Masseto 1989 makes an appearance during a dinner with Cico Maldini (portrayed by Michele Morrone). Current retail examples sit at around £1,400 (approx. $1,900) per bottle. However, condition and provenance can make a difference to the price.
Masseto is made from Merlot in Bolgheri in Tuscany, and is relatively young compared with some of the older Bordeaux estates. “Masseto 1989 is fascinating because the estate itself has described the wine as retaining fresh fruit while also showing evolved aromas of truffle and forest undergrowth,” Longari says. “At this age, the attraction is less about power and more about complexity, texture, and elegance.
“Rather than simply opting for a famous prestige label, selecting such an early vintage [for the show] suggests a deeper appreciation of Masseto’s history and its significance in the development of modern Italian fine wine.”
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Château Mouton Rothschild 1989
Rounding out the collection shown in the show is Château Mouton Rothschild 1989, another heavyweight of the fine-wine world. A bottle would generally be worth several hundred dollars. Mouton Rothschild has strong prestige among collectors, and every vintage features artwork on its label. For 1989, the artist was Georg Baselitz.
According to Longari, “there is an irony to the Mouton Rothschild 1989 being declared corked. Even with an exceptional vintage and decades of careful storage, an individual bottle can still be affected by TCA, or cork taint, reminding us that fine wine remains a natural product.”
